4/16/11

We are a potato family. Well, not literally but we love having potatoes as a side to many of our family meals. They are a nutritious side to almost any meal and there are some pretty great recipes you can create with them like one of our all time favourites, Shepherd's Pie!

We know how original mashed potatoes can be a pain. Although they are excellent for home cooked meals it does take a little more prep time. Peeling them, cutting them up into the right size and then waiting for them to boil so you can mash them, usually coming out lumpy if you're not very experienced with mashed potatoes. I know I've eaten many a lumpy mash potato in my time. We usually buy instant potatoes, the kids really like those. It saves time during the week if we are in the mood to have potatoes as a side.

We got the opportunity to try out a new way of making mashed potatoes using McCain Purely Potatoes. I'm sure you've seen the commercial with all "the peeling, the cutting and the mashing". 100% pure potato chunks that are as easy to prepare as steam, mash, serve.

About the product:McCain Purely Potatoes bring delicious mashed potatoes in just minutes with 100% real potatoes, already washed, peeled and cut so we can quickly prepare our favourite recipes! There are two easy ways to prepare McCain Purely Potatoes. Traditional stove-top or Microwave.

The microwave instructions that we tried are pretty simple although honestly I think next time we will try making them on the stove top, there is something about microwaving food that seems to give it a different, less home-cooked taste:

Steam: Place the unopened bag in the microwave (on high) for 11 to 13 minutes and let stand 2 minutes.

Mash: Mash the potatoes by hand (using a hand masher please!) or by electric mixer for fluffier potatoes.

Our experience: Overall I have to say as the main cook of the house that McCain purely potatoes aren't half bad! They are as simple as the directions say just be very careful opening the bag. I wore oven mitts and used scissors to cut the bag open and avoid being burned by hot steam. When mixing we added a little more milk and margarine than required plus a little salt but that is just our taste. One pouch served a family of four, the kids each had seconds of potatoes too. A larger group would require two bags.

Great idea for a quick meal during the week or if you need a quick side for a large group gathering, pot-luck etc. We are fans of instant potatoes so these don't fall far behind that category although, like I said, nothing beats real .

We enjoyed these with Schneider's Grill'ems smoked sausage in cheddar we picked up at our local grocery store and fresh cooked carrots.

*This post was written by A Motherhood Experience in participation with the McCain Purely Potatoes BzzAgent Campaign. We received one voucher for a free bag of McCain Purely Potatoes for review purposes and coupons to share with our family and friends. All opinions are honest and my own*